FORT WORTH, TX (TIP): Mr. Harish Parvathaneni, Consul General of India at Houston attended as Keynote Speaker at the Center for Law and Intellectual Property Distinguished Speaker Series followed by a Panel Discussion co-hosted by Texas A&M University School of Law and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Wednesday, 24 February 2016 at Texas A&M School of Law, Fort Worth, TX.

Dean Andrew P. Morriss welcomed Consul General at the Texas A&M University School of Law. Consul General Harish gave an overview of the Indian economy, recent changes affecting the legal and business ecosystem, and flagship schemes and incentives of the Government for business and investors. He said that India has a robust Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime covering different kinds of IP such as Patents, Trade Marks, Industrial Designs, Plant Varieties, Copyrights, Geographical Indications and Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout. He stressed on India’s compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) and World  Intellectual  Property Organization (WIPO).

Consul General Harish highlighted India’s strong engagement with the U.S. and partner countries on IPR. He said that the Draft National IPR Policy has been released and discussions have taken place with all stakeholders regarding Government of India’s pro-active role in leveraging the strengths of the IPR regime for effective development and transfer of technology, promoting creative industries, stimulating innovations and empowering local communities in securing benefits from their knowledge base. The IPR regime is an integral part of the flagship projects of the Government of India such as Make in India and Digital India encouraging foreign companies to invest and establish their manufacturing, R&D and outsourcing bases in India.

Professor of Law, Ms. Srividhya Raghavan moderated a panel discussion followed by Q&A featuring Consul General Harish and representatives of Indian industry, Mr. Kapil Sharma, Vice President Government and Public Affairs, WIPRO Inc. and Mr. Mani Iyer, President, Mahindra USA, who in their presentations explained the positive changes in business environment in India. They gave account of their hands-on experience of operations in India and the U.S. The event concluded with a healthy discussion between Professors specializing in IPR, students of the law school, the local bar, Chambers of Commerce, Indian lawyers and representatives of business and industry in the Dallas / Fort Worth areas.